


Closed Distance.

by 360loverpenguin



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Character Study - Suki, F/M, Fluff, Kyoshi Warriors - Freeform, Letters, Reunion, Sukka Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:49:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26300701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/360loverpenguin/pseuds/360loverpenguin
Summary: Suki leaned against the worn railing that outlined the small porch, allowing the sun’s heat to feel calming rather than its’ counterpart. She shut her eyes. The light summer breeze gently swayed the tassels falling form her headpiece, causing them to brush against her cheek. After a few short moments, she released a breath that dropped all the tension form her shoulders. She allowed her grip on her fans to loosen, setting them down with a soft noise against the wood.She allowed her eyes to fall open once again, blinking as they adjusted to the influx of light. It was then that she noticed a messenger hawk perched next to where she was leaning, picking at its’ feathers slightly.There was a Fire Nation symbol on its’ metal vessel. Her heart started to pick up, hitting against her rib cage. There was a black ribbon flickering in the breeze tied tightly to it.A black ribbon. Her mind raced as she quickly fumbled to open the tube. Was there trouble in the Fire Nation? More assassins sent after Zuko? Possibilities raced through her head, all worsening the longer she went without reading the letter’s contents.
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	Closed Distance.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Letters' for Sukka Week 2020!! I had so much fun writing these amazing characters for this event week; kinda hard to believe it's done. Enjoy!!

Suki stretched her arms behind her slightly, shifting her fans into one hand to rotate her sore wrist. She smiled as she stepped back to watch the other warriors go through their forms.

They’d come so far since the end of the war; having fought out in the world and became all the stronger for it. Her chest swelled with pride for every single one of them. After everything they’d been through, they had emerged better.

As her eyes landed on one of the younger warriors, she flicked open a single metal fan, remnant of the ones Kyoshi had once fought with. “Don’t over extend your arm when you strike,” she said, loud enough to speak to the group as a whole. “It leaves you vulnerable for an attack.” She had made that mistake once. Back when she fought the Fire Nation princess.

Swordsmanship had never been the focus of her efforts; it had only meant to be a last ditch effort. And what a last effort it was. She still vividly remembered how her group had been taken down, one by one, leaving them scrambling for any option they could. And she had blown it. She had failed her warriors. Suki would be lying if she said she didn’t still harbour some guilt about that. She was their leader. She was supposed to be unbreakable.

Suki shook her head, calling her attention back to the moment as she ran the movement herself, demonstrating the flow from one strike to the next in quick succession, never hesitating. The other warriors turned their attention back to their own sets, mostly adjusting as she suggested. The best she could do was make them stronger now.

She sighed, resisting the urge to wipe the sweat from her forehead. The last thing she needed was a stained uniform to wash. It was hotter than usual in the dojo today, summer sun pouring in through every window and trapping its’ heat inside the small building. The uniform only made it more suffocating; chainmail is great for protection, not so much for comfort.

Her mind drifted back to when she had first joined the Kyoshi Warriors, after she had given up trying to perfectly follow every order for fear of disappointing her captain. It had been a day just like this, and she had complained about training in their armour when there wasn’t a threat anywhere to be found on the island, larger villages included. She smiled slightly at the memory of the older girl exacerbatedly explained that training with armour got them accustomed to fighting with the added weight. It could always be stripped away, but if they headed into battle, they would need full range of motion in metal.

Suki had been made to give that speech a few times herself to the younger members. Allowing her eyes to dance over the laser focused group once more, Suki stepped just outside the large wooden walled room, hoping for a hint of cooling breeze outside for a moment.

She leaned against the worn railing that outlined the small porch, allowing the sun’s heat to feel calming rather than its’ counterpart. She shut her eyes. The light summer breeze gently swayed the tassels falling form her headpiece, causing them to brush against her cheek. After a few short moments, Suki released a breath that dropped all the tension form her shoulders. She allowed her grip on her fans to loosen, setting them down with a soft noise against the wood.

She allowed her eyes to fall open once again, blinking as they adjusted to the influx of light. It was then that she noticed a messenger hawk perched next to where she was leaning, picking at its’ feathers slightly.

There was a Fire Nation symbol on its’ metal vessel. Her heart started to pick up, hitting against her rib cage. There was a black ribbon flickering in the breeze tied tightly to it.

A black ribbon. Her mind raced as she quickly fumbled to open the tube. Was there trouble in the Fire Nation? More assassins sent after Zuko? Possibilities raced through her head, all worsening the longer she went without reading the letter’s contents.

She unrolled the cracked paper as quickly as her gloves hands would allow, characters set to form whatever inevitable news they held.

‘Suki, have dinner with me tonight?’

She blinked, rereading the simple sentence scrawled in the middle of the page at least twice. She brought her confused gaze back out to the far horizon, hoping a step away from the paper might help the words take meaning.

What she was met with upon looking up didn’t slow her heart in the slightest.

Sokka. Standing in the centre of the small dirt pathway cutting through the sea of vibrant green grass, light dancing over his grin in a way that made the sight look more like an oil painting than reality.

Throwing the letter down, she rushed over to him, immediately enveloping him in a hug. His arms squeezed her back with just as much urgency, pulling her as tight to his chest as he could manage.

She held onto him like he’d disappear at any moment, lips pulling up into a smile as they stood floating in the midst of time for a moment.

“What are- you weren’t supposed to come up till next month,” she said, stepping back to properly look at him. Suki kept her arms holding onto his, not wanting to let go completely.

He shrugged in return, “Couldn’t wait that long.”

He barely had time to finish his sentence before her lips were pressed against his, every single ounce of fire in her poured into the simple action as Sokka gently pulled her in closer. The heat formed a bubble around them, almost thick enough to block out the rest of the world in its’ entirety.

It had been too long since she had seen him, but that distance never really mattered when they reunited. They clicked back into place effortlessly, starting right where they had left off. It was never easy living at a distance from the other, but both of them were willing to put in whatever work it took. What they had was worth it.

When they pulled apart, smears of white and red dotted the skin around Sokka’s lips. She bit back a laugh at that as he made no move to wipe it away. “Y’know, you never answered my question.”

“Ah, yes, the ‘urgent’ news.” She paused slightly, eyes still lingering on his, “I’d love to.”

Sokka leaned down to peck her lips once more, quickly and softly. And underlined by laughter.

The pair whirled around to face the building Suki had fled mere minutes ago, coming face to face with every single one of her elite warriors standing outside watching them. The group was caught in a fit of laughter at seeing the look on their leader’s face as they discovered why she had rushed off so quickly.

Suki didn’t need a mirror to notice the heat rushing to her cheeks. She usually prioritized focus during training, knowing how crucial it was to their success. And yet.

She stepped back from Sokka, turning to fully face the warriors. “Did I say you guys could stop your drills?” she called, voice as level and serious as she could muster.

It didn’t have as much effect as she had hoped. She was never gonna hear the end of this form her girls.

Sighing, Suki started back for the building as the rest filed slowly back inside. “I’ll see you tonight!” Sokka called, voice half overwhelmed by his own laughter as he turned in the other direction.

As Suki stepped back onto the wooden platform, boots lightly echoing against it, in spite of her embarrassment, a smile forced its’ way back onto her lips as she once again began training.


End file.
